Finding the right things to pack for a vacation can seem daunting, especially if you’re trying to pack light.
Should you pack that extra pair of pants? Do you really need that extra jacket?
Well, rest assured that the travel essentials listed below are crucial to have with you on any trip. So you won’t need to stress out about whether or not you should pack them – they should always be on your “what to pack for vacation list!”
And since most of these aren’t the first thing to come to mind when packing, they’re also the things you forget to pack for a trip.
But the next time around, you won’t need to worry about that – now that you have this travel essentials list 😉
Here are the travel essentials to ALWAYS pack for a vacation:
- Packing cubes
- Lightweight luggage
- Travel adapter/converter
- External battery source
- Collapsible water bottle
- Inflatable travel pillow
- Mini first aid kit
- Hand sanitizer
- Face wipes
- Theft-proof purse or backpack
- Dual purpose scarf/blanket
- Lightweight camera
- Lightweight tripod
- Something to combat the elements
- Fuzzy socks
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read more on our Disclaimer Page.
What makes a good travel essential?
If you’ve read basically any of my other posts, you know that I’m a huge fan of packing light. So when we talk about travel essentials, that thing has to be especially useful to make it into my carry-on.
These “travel essentials” are things that make my trips better, prevent headaches, and save money while traveling.
Can you live without them? I guess.
But I can promise you that each of these things will make your vacation so much better, and prevent so many issues – believe me, I’ve lived through some awful travel mistakes!
Like the time we got lost in Venice because my phone ran out of battery.
Or the time we were covered in soot for an entire day in the Sahara desert – did you really think there was a place to shower in the desert?
Hopefully these things to pack for a vacation will help you have an epic trip!
You deserve to travel more!
Travel planning is hard. But it doesn’t have to be. Get access to our free travel resource library to start crossing things off your bucket list!
IT ONLY TAKES 5 SECONDS!
Essential Things to Pack For a Vacation
1) Packing cubes
Of course packing cubes has to be number one on this list!
They are by far the absolute best way to organize your carry on, save you valuable luggage space, and ultimately save you time and money.
If you’ve never heard of them, they are basically little mesh compartments in different sizes. If you like to have things organized, you’re going to love these. You pack all of your stuff into them and then pop them into your luggage. It’s that simple.
How does this help save you time and money? Great question.
Firstly, it’s easier to find everything in your bag. Taking things out or rearranging them is super quick, and you don’t end up with a mess to clean up after.
Second of all, they are a great way to ensure you pack light by limiting the amount of stuff you can pack in each compartment. If it doesn’t fit in my packing cubes, I don’t take it with me!
2) Lightweight luggage
For some people lightweight luggage is a luxury. But I definitely consider it to be a necessity of traveling.
Airlines are constantly increasing the price of luggage, and I’d rather not pay a penny more than I have to. No shame in that right? 😛
So by taking a lightweight carry-on, I have more room to pack things I want to take with me, and not use up the weight restriction on heavy luggage.
Other reasons why lightweight carry-ons are the absolute best:
- You don’t end up running through the airport with 500lbs attached to you
- Or carrying that same heavy luggage across cobblestone streets
- The boyfriend/hubby is less likely to complain about carrying your bag ;-P
3) travel adapter
This item is truly essential if you’re traveling abroad. You don’t want to forget your adapter and end up not being able to charge your electronics.
Also, I’ve noticed that they can be quite hard to find once you’re in another country, so make sure you have a few in your bag to charge everything you need to – like all the phones, laptops, camera batteries, etc.
I like this one because it has 2 extra USB ports where I can plug in multiple devices at the same time.
4) External battery
Running out of battery on anything is annoying.
Whether it’s your cell phone that you’re using to get around with via GPS or your camera battery that dies just before you take that perfect shot.
That’s why I always have at least one external battery with me at all times.
It’s a crazy useful device that basically takes up no space in my purse – and saves me a lot of time and headaches – like that we were driving in the Canary Islands and my phone died about an hour into the mountains.
Thankfully I had an extra battery source to pull over and charge my phone!
5) collapsible water bottle
A refillable water bottle is crucial if you don’t want to be paying $3 or $4 per bottle of water – and even better if it’s collapsible and doesn’t take up any space in your bag!
This is definitely one of my favorite travel items since we travel off-the-beaten-path quite often and don’t always see a place to stop for food and water!
6) inflatable travel pillow
Who needs sleep on the plane?
I do, I do!
Especially if you’re taking any overnight flights (which you totally should to maximize your vacation days) then you’re going to need some help getting to sleep!
And I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t have the $ to shell out for 1st class tickets for every vacation.
Instead I just blow up my pillow and start counting sheep 😛
It’s definitely one way to make those horrible economy seats just a tad bit more comfy!
7) mini first-aid kit
You never know when accidents happen and you’ll need and extra bandaid – or 6.
And I can’t tell you then number of times we’ve had to visit a pharmacy while traveling – for things we’ve never had to deal with before!
So do yourself and your travel budget a fovor and be prepared for small accidents!
8) hand sanitizer
Talking about accidents, you should always be ready with some hand sanitizer for those icky little things.
You know…the special moments in life where your first thought is…just don’t touch anything 😉
So if you have some, don’t forget to pack it! And if you need some, grab a travel size bottle of scented hand sanitizer!
9) face wipes
Someone once told me….don’t take an overnight flight without a toothbrush and some face wipes.
And I’ve never traveled without them since.
There’s nothing like waking up on a plane and being able to “wash” your face, brush you teeth, and feel refreshed. This truly makes such a big difference when we travel and the whole family always asks for one when they see me pull mine out.
Keep them in your carry on for easy morning access!
10) anti-theft purse/backpack
There’s a fine line between traveling safe and traveling cute – and I’ve done both!
But the last thing you want is to reach for your phone/camera/wallet/passport and realize it’s gone – thats a perfect way to mess up a vacation day!
So whatever you do, make sure you have a purse or backpack that doesn’t have large exposed areas, doesn’t call tons of attention, and doesn’t make it easy to be pick-pocketed!
This one is perfect for staying safe and keeping it cute, but is still under $30!
11) multipurpose scarf
What in the heck is a multi-purpose scarf?
Well, I made it up! 😛
Just get yourself a scarf that meets the following criteria:
- Breathable fabric for quick drying – in case you need to wash it!
- Cute – you’ll have to wear it after all!
- Big enough to use as a blanket – like the oversized one below!
- Cheap – so you don’t mind if it gets dirty or ruined while using it as an impromptu picnic blanket
I got mine on Amazon and it’s been to about 10 countries with me so far!
And bonus tip – don’t pack this! Instead just wear it on the plane to use as a blanket – and avoid the extra luggage weight!
12) lightweight camera
I never travel without my camera – imagine all the epic photos you’d miss out on without having a decent camera! And even though phone cameras are pretty good nowadays, they’re really no replacement for a camera that you can actually print photos from.
Unfortunately, nice cameras can be pretty expensive, and weigh quite a bit – not ideal for traveling light!
So as my travel camera I either use my Olympus PEN E-PL8 or my Canon M50.
Both are great for travel photography since they’re mirrorless, but the Canon is great for video also!
13) lightweight tripod
And of course if you’re going to capture any photos of yourself, you’ll want a tripod.
That way you don’t have to hand your camera to strangers or do the awkward travel selfie that cuts off everyone’s face!
I use the Amazon basics tripod for traveling because it’s lightweight, it’s inexpensive and it works!
Plus it folds down nicely into my carry-on or backpack!
14) something to combat the elements
Whether you’re traveling to a cold place, or to someplace warm, you’ll need a way to stay comfy and escape the elements,
For winter travel I use Warm Skin – it’s a cream that you apply before going outside and it keeps you warm all day!
And for summer travel I always have a cell phone fan – just a great little thing that you plug into your phone and instantly keeps you cool!
15) fuzzy socks
Yes fuzzy socks!
Remember how I mentioned making economy seats feel like first class?
Well changing into my fuzzy socks after takeoff makes the flight so much better! I refuse to stay in my sneakers all night and regular socks just feel so basic.
Just remember to pack them in your backpack or purse for easy access once you get on board!
16) luggage scale
Lastly, one of the best things to pack for a vacation is a luggage scale.
That way you can always make sure your luggage isn’t overweight – and you can avoid the extra baggage fees!
This comes in hand ESPECIALLY after buying a few souvenirs on vacation. You don’t want that $5 souvenir to cost you an extra $50.
Just make sure the luggage is weighed before you get to the airport!
What did you think of our What to Pack for Vacation List?
Hopefully you see how these things come in super handy on any trip! But just to recap – you can’t control everything on your trip, but these essential things to pack for a vacation can help you be prepared – no matter what!
For more travel resources, subscribe to our free travel resource library! It will help you plan your trip like a pro and it only takes 5 seconds!
Happy travels!
– Veronica
Pin Things to Pack for Vacation!
Add a Comment